English - Modernities - American & British Literature & Film

Course Outline
This MA introduces students to the advanced study of American and British literature and other cultural forms, from the eighteenth century to the present day, as well as to a selection of European and American theoretical works pertaining to the concept of 'modernity'. Under the guidance of leading scholars in their fields, students will encounter some of the most influential contemporary critical and theoretical models currently being applied to the notions of modernity and modernisation, and apply the ideas raised by these theories to a rich variety of works from the Romantic, Victorian, and modernist periods, and the later twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Texts studied range from those of canonical Romantics, including P.B. and Mary Shelley, major Victorian authors such as Charles Dickens, the influential modernists Ezra Pound and Virginia Woolf, to innovative recent and contemporary poets, novelists, dramatists, and filmmakers. Among theorists of modernity, students can expect to explore the thought of significant nineteenth-century thinkers, including Carlyle, Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and to examine twentieth/twenty-first-century cultural theory in such fields as deconstruction, ecofeminism, and transhumanism. The encounter with these thinkers and movements will aid the student in debating and developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the broader culture in this era.

The MA in English (Modernities) consists of two parts: a taught course and a dissertation.

Why Choose This Course
This course is the only MA in English offered by an Irish university that provides an advanced and coherent introduction to a selection of literary, theoretical, and other cultural works from the late eighteenth century to the present day.

Students take 90 credits as follows:
Part I (50 credits)
EN6009 Contemporary Literary Research: Skills, Methods and Strategies (10 credits)
EN6028 Theories of Modernity (10 credits)

Plus
30 credits from:
EN6025 Literary and Cultural Modernisms (10 credits)
EN6026 Postmodernism (10 credits)
EN6027 Romanticism and Modernity (10 credits)
EN6020 Victorian Modernities (10 credits)

Part II (40 credits)
EN6017 Dissertation in English (40 credits).

Note: Subject to the approval of the MA programme coordinators, students may substitute one 10-credit module with one of the following 10-credit modules: EN6048, EN6049, EN6050, EN6051, EN6052, EN6053, EN6054, EN6063. FX6010.

Modules
Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our book of modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar
You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Requirements
To be considered for admission to an MA programme within the School of English, an applicant will normally possess a primary degree result of Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or higher or equivalent qualification in English or a cognate subject. All candidates must satisfy a Selection Committee who may request applicants to provide letters of reference.

For North American students a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 is expected.

The selection committee for the MA in the Department of English, University College Cork also attaches strong importance to the additional supplementary online questions and the online 500 word personal statement for the MA in English (Modernities: Literature, Theory and Culture from the Romantics to the Present).

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university approved English language requirements available online.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements, please find our grades comparison by country online.

International/non-EU applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure please visit our how to apply pages for international students. In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file online.

For more information please contact the International Office.

How Do I Apply
1. Choose Course
Firstly choose your course. Applicants can apply for up to two courses under one application. Details of taught courses are available on our online prospectus.

2. Apply Online
Once you have chosen your course you can apply online at the online application portal. Applicants will need to apply before the course closing date. There is a non-refundable €50 application fee for all courses apart from the Education - Professional Master of Education - (Secondary School/Post-Primary Teacher Training) which has a €100 application fee.

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing must apply on the PAC website when the programme opens for applications.

3. Gather Supporting Documents
Scanned copies of the following documents will need to be uploaded to the online application portal in support of your application. Applicants may need to produce the original documents if you are accepted onto a course and register at UCC.

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC
Any supplementary items requested for your course.
Please log into the online application portal for more details.

4. Application processing timeline
Our online application portal opens for applications for most courses in early November of each year. Check specific course details.

5. Rounds
For courses that are in the rounds system (Irish and EU applicants), please check the rounds closing dates via link below.

Questions on how to apply?
Please use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.
Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

Please detail your computing/technical/IT skills.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early for an early decision.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 15 June

Continuous assessment including written assignments, in-class assignments, seminar participation and presentation, research journal, literature and IT review and research presentation. You will have four written assessments (2000 words each) in the Modernities module and seminar participation.

90 Credits

1 year, full time

Start Date 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
This course will provide you with an advanced understanding of an important period in literary and cultural history and knowledge of the theoretical tools required fully to understand this period. It will also equip you with a range of research skills designed to prepare you to present academic research in a variety of forms to a professional standard.